Please post one example of how you have used a Web 2.0 application in K-12 curriculum and how it's use aligns to NETS-Students. Please keep your post brief. Lengthier posts, such as a lesson plan or curriculum activity should be linked to an external website. Optionally, participate in ISTE's NETS-S Implementation discussion.
In your post, be sure to include a link to the Web 2.0 tool, grade level, alignment to NETS-S, and curriculum context including content.
Name: Beth Burke Grade Level: 7
Tool: GoAnimate Content/Project: Writing - Students were given the first half of a story, rewrote the ending, and then used GoAnimate to digitally tell the end of the story. (Click here to see students' story endings.) NETS-S Addressed: 1.b, 2.b, 4.b, 4.d, 5, 6
Beth, I love this idea. What a terrific way to promote or increase student creativity! Lisa
Cindy Etchison
Grade Level: k-5
Content: LA, Math, Social Studies, Science
Standards: NETS-S 1,2,3,4 Prior to coming to computer lab,K-5 teachers submit a lab planning sheet that describes the activity and NETS-S standards. I collect these sheets and use this information to post an activity summary so that all teachers can see the types of activities that other teachers use. We use the technology to teach the technology. These web 2.0 tools are used: Voice Thread ( http://voicethread.com/share/777969/ ) and Wallwisher( http://wallwisher.com/wall/elemlab).
Cindy, thank you so much for posting these tools. Wallwisher is a new one for me. Maybe you could post the planning sheet in the Resources section for the coursebook? Lisa
Voice ThreadDigital Stories
Grade Level: K-12
Students enhance literacy skills using Voice Thread to create a digital story documenting a field trip or special event at school. Kindergarten example. NETS-S 1,4,6
Paul George Discussion BoardDiscussing the solution to an algebra problem
Grade Level: 8
Content: Algebra
Teacher uses formative assessment through the Discussion Board feature on Blackboard to allow students to communicate their thought process in the solution of a problem. This approach gives the teacher insight into each student's problem-solving approach and provides the opportunity to reteach or fine tune the problem areas rather than simply marking something right or wrong. An extension of this would be to allow students to comment on each other's problem-solving approach and to experience alternative problem-solving approaches. NETS-S 4, 5, 6
Hi Paul, great post! I think teachers could use a blog or a wiki if they do not have Blackboard at their school. I think that having students articulate their thought process in the solution of the problem is a life skills that extends far beyond the course. Thanks so much for sharing this with us! Lisa
Stephanie Spissu BlogSpotPublishing student compositions
Grade Level: 4 - 12
Students completed the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) by posting the final draft for their various essays on individual blogs. Each student's family had access to their child's blog as well as other students in the program (this was at a learning center and not in a school). Parents and fellow students were instructed to keep in touch with the blogs and to comment and ask questions. In follow-up sessions, the students would revisit their blogs to respond to comments and questions and to write a reflection/evaluation comment about their final essay. NETS-S 1.b, 2.a, 2.b, and 5.b
Hi Stephanie, I love that the families are invited in with the blog. This is a great way to involve families and builds a strong sense of community. Lisa
Andrette Duncan Make Beliefs Comix
Grades: ESOL 3-6
Content: Language Arts
Students used the writing process with the aide of a storyboard to publish a comic strip to demonstrate an understanding of using dialogue. Students were able to print 3 copies of each project to share with the ESOL teacher, homeroom teacher and parents. Completed projects were displayed on the ESOL depatment's bulletin board. NETS-S 1b., 4a.,5b. and 6d
Hi Andrette! Thanks for sharing this with us. Can students embed the comics in a wiki or a google site? Thanks, Lisa Lisa, completed comics can be email or printed. If I wanted to include them in a Wiki or Google site, I would use Jing (another Web 2.0 tool) to create a 'snap shot'and then upload it to the site as an image.
Anne Truger ClayMagic
Grades: SPED 9-12
Content: Language Arts
We are not encouraged to use Web 2.0 tools in my district so I am sharing a large scale project my students did that is posted to the web. Students studied a unit of poetry, wrote 10 of their own original poems in various styles. The students put together a scrapbook of all poems and turned it in. Once this was turned in they were allowed to work on a clay animation of one of their poems. The majority of these animations were created using clay, digital pictures and Frames animation software. Even though it was not a Web 2.0 project it meets many of the NETS-S:1.a,1.b,2.b,2.d,4.b,4.d and 6.b
Hi Anne! What a creative and original idea! Thanks for sharing it with us. Lisa
Cheryl Capozzoli
wikispaces - http://www.wiki.caiu.org/
Level - Regional wikispace for PA school districts
Content - Professional Development, Curriculum resources
Our intermediate unit has been working on integrating technology at many levels. This is the first year that we have begun to organize our online content and professional development resources. My colleague and I work together to promote and train on various Web 2.0 tools. This is only one of many that we have implemented since starting last year. Our work supports NETS A 1a, 2a-d, 3a-d, 4a, 5a-d
Hi Cheryl, Thank you so much for sharing this wiki with us. Lisa
Nancy J. Connolly Currently our district is piloting a program called Saywire which is used just for the eighth graders, but is soon to be used with the sixth and seventh graders. This is used for the teachers to communicate to their students in their classes with homework assiginments, projects and if for some reason the school would have to shut down for a few days it is a way to keep the students organized with their subject information. This project aligns to the NETS-2,5,and 6 students by creativity and innovation by applying existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes, communication and collaboration, communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats, digital citizenship, advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology and Technology Operations and Concepts. The link is https://saywire.com/index.php?go=person.home
Thanks Nancy! I appreciate the focus on communication (especially homework assignments). Lisa
Civil War Wikispace
Fourth Grade
A small group of students is working on an independent project, studying Civil War era people. Students are organizing information using a wiki.Students are researching their person of interest, taking notes in certain areas of interest and locating images for use in a video project. Students each have a Discovery Streaming editable video clip for their person of interest. They view the video and then we remove the narrated audio track. Students will develop a new audio track to accompany the video using their researched information. The new audio track will be recorded behind the editable video clip as the new narration. By organizing their content into an audio track, students will better synthesize the information than simply recording their research in a written report. Matching their written content to the existing video track will require greater critical thinking, problem solving and decision making. NETS*S:
1b - Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
2a - Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
3a - Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students plan strategies to guide inquiry.
3b - Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
3c - Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
4b - Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
5a - Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
6d - Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.
Not sure who wrote this... I will have to check the edits/history. Thank you for detailing the project for us. Lisa (oops! Michelle Krill)
Ben Grey http://www.wikispaces.com
Grade Level: Elementary
We use Wikispaces for our students when they do literature circles. Instead of doing traditional role sheets, teachers have students complete their role work on the wiki page for their group. Students then use that space to share their thoughts and insights on the book with each other. Students also use the site to create their own reading pace chart as well as keep each other accountable for reading.
NETS-S 2,3,4,5,6
Hi Ben! Thanks for sharing this with us. I believe that this could be implemented with any age group... thanks so much! Lisa
Scott Meech http://www.todaysmeet.com
Grade Level: Middle School (6,7, and 8th)
We have used this resource as a back channel tool for students to ask questions without disturbing the rhythm of a lesson. Fellow classmates can answer the questions in the back channel. This took a little bit of training to get the students beyond being silly, but once they understood the potential it has been very successful. We have been very encouraged by students who participate now who are not good at participating before using this resource. Additionally students love to help other students.
NETS - S 2.b, 2.c, 3.a, 3.b, 4.a, 4.b, 4.c,
Hi Scott, this is a nice tool. Thanks for sharing it with us. Anything that encourages participation is AWESOME! Lisa
Andrea Christman http://wchstech.wikispaces.com/
Grade Level: High School (9-12)
My district does not really sanction Web 2.0 products and their philosophy is if student work resides on any server that is not the district's, then don't do it. However, many people are using Wikis, VoiceThread, and other applications. Informally, we operate on an "Don't ask, don't tell" policy! If you get caught, they will tell you to take it down, but otherwise, you are on your own! I took it upon myself this year to collaborate with my partner (we have two media specialists in our school) and the staff development teacher and we created this wiki for the teachers to keep track of the technology professional development that we are designing and teaching this school year. We have had some wonderful Wikis created by our staff this year and for the first year, I am pleased. We have two Assistant Principals on board and one of them created a Wiki to communicate with her student Ambassadors. The National Honor Society sponsor created a Wiki to keep their Service Projects all in one place and the Drama teacher created a Wiki to organize her parent volunteers for her play production in the fall. It is moving into the curriculum a bit more slowly, but I feel that once teachers are comfortable in this environment first, then they will take it to the next level and incorporate it into their content areas.
NETS-S 2, 5, 6
Thanks so much, Andrea! I could spend hours looking at this-- a definite bookmark for me! Lisa
Brady Cline http://www.studywiz.com/
Grade Level: K-12
Our school purchased this platform a year ago. It is a comprehensive learning platform which includes wikis, blogs, chatting etc. Remains to be seen how much value it will add when compared to Google Apps which several teachers began using extensively (without really getting permission) while waiting for this to come online.
NETS-S 2,3,4,5,6
Thanks Brady. I would be very interested to see the results at the end of the year. Lisa
I am speaking from the viewpoint of an administrator since I am not currently a teacher so this is modeling use for teachers. Prior to a staff meeting I had the teachers post ideas and thoughts on wall wisher. Staff meeting occurs via Elluminate. I also wanted to add another example although I do not have a link. In the elementary we are required to have parent-teacher conferences. They had never been done virtually since students are located all over the state. We plan to use skype to do these student-led conferences (although students do not have web cams) and have students share data graphs on progress toward meeting standards. We could add use of google docs for the graphs in the future, however, this year the students scan graphs to the teacher for conference use. I also will be teaching a high school class online and plan to use voice thread for students to introduce themselves.
Thanks, Kathleen. This tool was a new one for me. I can see limitless possibilities! Thanks... Lisa
Voicethread has been one of the most exciting and versatile Web 2.0 innovations my district has used. It is used at all grade levels (K-8), but not necessarily in all classrooms. VoiceThread is even being used by some of our elementary art teachers to create an online portfolio for student artwork. Students have created online books, voiced opinions about topics, shared information, and demonstrated their learning through their VoiceThread projects. The real power of this Web 2.0 tool is when the world is invited to view a project and add their comments. One such example is the 2nd grade Country Projects link posted above. These students researched a country, shared information, and posted the project to their class blog. The world was invited to comment and add additional information about the places they studied. You can imagine the excitement when someone from Australia actually commented for the student who studied Australia!
How cool that someone from Australia commented-- three cheers for authenticity! Thanks so much, Judy. Lisa
Currently our Middle School is using Google Apps for Eduction. Basically, we are hosting it on our server and student and teachers are able to easily login and use the Docs, Blogger, and other apps, such as the Reader. This is a powerful tool because all of the information is brought to them. So far I have have had positive feedback from all teachers and most students. As far as logins and passwords, they have been really user friendly, unlike the Moodle Apps we have been using.
Thanks Patrick. Check out the Google (google apps) for educators site to see lesson samples for all ages groups! Thanks, Lisa
Patricia Moriarty We Seed
NETS 1c 2d 3b 3d 4c 5 6
Grade Level Grade 5
Content Area: Math
I have not used many Web 2.0 tools with my students however, this year I am trying out an online stock market simulation called We Seeds. It is a great tool and the students are able to use real time data to manage their portfolios. They are able to interact with other teams and discuss stocks online. The only drawback for using this particular simulation is that the students needed to have their own email accounts. Fortunately, many do have their own email but some students don't. The Tech specialist is trying to work around this by possibly setting up a few accounts but most of these sites are blocked by our server. I am hoping that all students will someday have account at school but the reality is we don't really have the administrative support for this
Hi Patricia, Thanks so much for sharing this with us. It would be great if your tech specialist could set up some accounts for you. Have you seen mathtv? thanks, Lisa.
Teresa Diehl
I am ashamed to admit that I have never used a web 2.0 tool in a K-12 teaching situation. The last time I was a teacher was in 2006-- I was working in a developing country and had never heard of such tools. Even though I have been working as a curriculum writer since then, I have not been given the freedom to include such niceties. I do, however, look forward to reading about how my JHU colleagues use them!
There is no reason to be ashamed, Teresa.You can share the tools with other teachers you know. Lisa
Michelle McFarland
I too am ashamed to say that I have never used a web 2.0 tool in school. We have only in the last year got computers that can run with more than one application open at a time. We are very far behind as a district in terms of technology. We just had eno (smartboards) installed in our classrooms over the holiday break. However, we have not had PD or suggestions of tools to use in conjunction with it. This is something that myself and some other teachers are working on and hoping to be able to address in an upcoming PD. The difficulty is that while teachers can use these tools in the classroom there are no computers available for students to use in the building.
Oh how frustrating that the students do not have access to computers! Please don't say that you are ashamed. Let us know how the smart boards work out for you. Lisa
Allyson Smith
High school
NETS 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2d, 3a, 3b,3d, 4b, 6a
Math, Humanities, Science and Sustainability
wikispaces.com
Blackboard
Photostory
One of the major uses of web 2.0 tools at my school is to have students share knowledge and to work in teams. We did not have access to anything in house so some of our teachers used wikispaces. Over the summer one class used wikispaces to collaborate on research on the civl rights movement and then to use that knowledge as background to create a collection of essays on the state of civil rights today. Our district has now included wikis in blackboard so some teachers use our district blackboard wiki instead of wikispaces. One teacher used the blackboard wiki for teams to collaborate in presentations about "Pumkin Chuckin" - they went to the event this fall so they have photos, interviews and it's a math class so they calculated the trajectories of the pumpkins. And a science teacher had her students create PSAs about pollution after researching information online. She has posted the videos on wikispaces.
Thanks, Allyson. The tools are great for communication and collaboration. I love the wiki pumpkin project :) Lisa
Melissa Del Priore
I am saddened by the fact that I have nothing to add to this space. My school has no push for integrating technology in the classroom. Our district received a grant and purchased ENO boards which were installed over Christmas break. Most teachers use them as projection screens or write on them like a white board. I want to use Google with my students, but it is blocked by the technology department. I want to use photostory, but that is blocked as well because it is "freeware". The new technology person is not education friendly, he was never a teacher. There is a laptop cart in my hallway that must be shared with 15 different teachers. It holds 25 computers and the batteries last only for about 2 hours at a time. The STEM academy that I am hoping to lead in the fall will hopefully have a whole different way of doing things, as we will use Race to the Top monies to integrate NETS standards and Web 2.0 tools.
I am sorry to hear this news. Maybe you could show them of the outstanding posts here and turn them around? Perhaps they would allow a pilot (test drive of the tools). What about other basic tools like power point and word? Do they allow for student creativity with these tools? Lisa
Name: Kenneth Davis Grade Level: 3 to 12
Tool: ALEKS Content/Project: Mathematics-Students work at their own pace to help them catch up or move forward with in the math curriculum. The program also helps a lot with retention over long breaks such as the summer and winter. NETS-S Addressed: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d
*I am not sure if this qualifies as a Web 2.0 tool though. Our class also does weekly blogs that answer math journal prompts that I provide them with in class. A simple but effective way to have them reflect and review what was taught for the week in class.
I agree with you on the blogs, Ken. This program looks like it would really help with retention. I would like to hear more about it sometime. Thanks,Lisa
Nancy took my first choice for a web 2.0 tool. I am actually running that pilot and it is a great tool. This link is another tool that I shared with my language teachers and I use myself. Name: Annamarie Capaldi Grade Level: 5-adult Tool:Noodlebib Summary: Noodlebib takes you through a step by step process to build a bibliography. It asks a series of questions and creates a properly built reference. This a not a free site, but the charge is minimal and saves all the bibliographies.
NETS: 2, 3, 5
Thanks, Annamarie. Do you like this site better than bibme? Have a good day, Lisa
Carissa Sualp
Grade Level: 6
NETS: 2
Tool: Google Apps: Collaboration
I am beginning a collaborative writing unit with my 6th grade students. We began the unit with an introduction to blogging. After watching a short video on "What is a blog?" we worked in groups using Google docs to define the word blog. Students entered their responses into the spreadsheet. As students completed their entry they highlighted key words/snynonyms that appeared within others contributions to the doc. The chat feature was permitted however requires more modeling for appropriate use. Eventually these students will be creating blogs, adding another collaborative communication tool to their toolbox.
Thanks, Carissa. Google Aps for Educators has a repository of lessons from teachers. You can search by grade or content. Check it out! Have a good day, Lisa
Lenora Crawford
Grade Level: 9-12
Tool: Facebook www.facebook.com
NETS: 2 and 5
This year a colleague and I thought it would be important create a positive social group centered around school membership for our student population. We came up with idea of creating a school facebook page. We both moderate and maintain the page. We pose questions to the students and they post such comments such as favorite teacher, class, best memory, etc. We also have expanded the use of facebook to our Mentor Mentee prgoram. Some teachers have created groups with their mentees in hopes of creating an outside of the classroom communication network. With these groups mentors are able to keep students abreast of ACT pre test dates, group lunch meetings and other collaborative efforts.
Please post one example of how you have used a Web 2.0 application in K-12 curriculum and how it's use aligns to NETS-Students. Please keep your post brief. Lengthier posts, such as a lesson plan or curriculum activity should be linked to an external website. Optionally, participate in ISTE's NETS-S Implementation discussion.
In your post, be sure to include a link to the Web 2.0 tool, grade level, alignment to NETS-S, and curriculum context including content.
Name: Beth Burke
Grade Level: 7
Tool: GoAnimate
Content/Project: Writing - Students were given the first half of a story, rewrote the ending, and then used GoAnimate to digitally tell the end of the story. (Click here to see students' story endings.)
NETS-S Addressed: 1.b, 2.b, 4.b, 4.d, 5, 6
Beth, I love this idea. What a terrific way to promote or increase student creativity! Lisa
Cindy Etchison
Grade Level: k-5
Content: LA, Math, Social Studies, Science
Standards: NETS-S 1,2,3,4
Prior to coming to computer lab,K-5 teachers submit a lab planning sheet that describes the activity and NETS-S standards. I collect these sheets and use this information to post an activity summary so that all teachers can see the types of activities that other teachers use. We use the technology to teach the technology. These web 2.0 tools are used: Voice Thread ( http://voicethread.com/share/777969/ ) and Wallwisher( http://wallwisher.com/wall/elemlab).
Cindy, thank you so much for posting these tools. Wallwisher is a new one for me. Maybe you could post the planning sheet in the Resources section for the coursebook? Lisa
Voice Thread Digital Stories
Grade Level: K-12
Students enhance literacy skills using Voice Thread to create a digital story documenting a field trip or special event at school. Kindergarten example. NETS-S 1,4,6
Paul George
Discussion Board Discussing the solution to an algebra problem
Grade Level: 8
Content: Algebra
Teacher uses formative assessment through the Discussion Board feature on Blackboard to allow students to communicate their thought process in the solution of a problem. This approach gives the teacher insight into each student's problem-solving approach and provides the opportunity to reteach or fine tune the problem areas rather than simply marking something right or wrong. An extension of this would be to allow students to comment on each other's problem-solving approach and to experience alternative problem-solving approaches. NETS-S 4, 5, 6
Hi Paul, great post! I think teachers could use a blog or a wiki if they do not have Blackboard at their school. I think that having students articulate their thought process in the solution of the problem is a life skills that extends far beyond the course. Thanks so much for sharing this with us! Lisa
Stephanie Spissu
BlogSpot Publishing student compositions
Grade Level: 4 - 12
Students completed the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) by posting the final draft for their various essays on individual blogs. Each student's family had access to their child's blog as well as other students in the program (this was at a learning center and not in a school). Parents and fellow students were instructed to keep in touch with the blogs and to comment and ask questions. In follow-up sessions, the students would revisit their blogs to respond to comments and questions and to write a reflection/evaluation comment about their final essay. NETS-S 1.b, 2.a, 2.b, and 5.b
Hi Stephanie, I love that the families are invited in with the blog. This is a great way to involve families and builds a strong sense of community. Lisa
Andrette Duncan
Make Beliefs Comix
Grades: ESOL 3-6
Content: Language Arts
Students used the writing process with the aide of a storyboard to publish a comic strip to demonstrate an understanding of using dialogue. Students were able to print 3 copies of each project to share with the ESOL teacher, homeroom teacher and parents. Completed projects were displayed on the ESOL depatment's bulletin board.
NETS-S 1b., 4a.,5b. and 6d
Hi Andrette! Thanks for sharing this with us. Can students embed the comics in a wiki or a google site? Thanks, Lisa
Lisa, completed comics can be email or printed. If I wanted to include them in a Wiki or Google site, I would use Jing (another Web 2.0 tool) to create a 'snap shot'and then upload it to the site as an image.
Anne Truger
ClayMagic
Grades: SPED 9-12
Content: Language Arts
We are not encouraged to use Web 2.0 tools in my district so I am sharing a large scale project my students did that is posted to the web. Students studied a unit of poetry, wrote 10 of their own original poems in various styles. The students put together a scrapbook of all poems and turned it in. Once this was turned in they were allowed to work on a clay animation of one of their poems. The majority of these animations were created using clay, digital pictures and Frames animation software. Even though it was not a Web 2.0 project it meets many of the NETS-S: 1.a,1.b,2.b,2.d,4.b,4.d and 6.b
Hi Anne! What a creative and original idea! Thanks for sharing it with us. Lisa
Cheryl Capozzoli
wikispaces - http://www.wiki.caiu.org/
Level - Regional wikispace for PA school districts
Content - Professional Development, Curriculum resources
Our intermediate unit has been working on integrating technology at many levels. This is the first year that we have begun to organize our online content and professional development resources. My colleague and I work together to promote and train on various Web 2.0 tools. This is only one of many that we have implemented since starting last year. Our work supports NETS A 1a, 2a-d, 3a-d, 4a, 5a-d
Hi Cheryl, Thank you so much for sharing this wiki with us. Lisa
Nancy J. Connolly
Currently our district is piloting a program called Saywire which is used just for the eighth graders, but is soon to be used with the sixth and seventh graders. This is used for the teachers to communicate to their students in their classes with homework assiginments, projects and if for some reason the school would have to shut down for a few days it is a way to keep the students organized with their subject information. This project aligns to the NETS-2,5,and 6 students by creativity and innovation by applying existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes, communication and collaboration, communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats, digital citizenship, advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology and Technology Operations and Concepts. The link is https://saywire.com/index.php?go=person.home
Thanks Nancy! I appreciate the focus on communication (especially homework assignments). Lisa
Civil War Wikispace
Fourth Grade
A small group of students is working on an independent project, studying Civil War era people. Students are organizing information using a wiki. Students are researching their person of interest, taking notes in certain areas of interest and locating images for use in a video project. Students each have a Discovery Streaming editable video clip for their person of interest. They view the video and then we remove the narrated audio track. Students will develop a new audio track to accompany the video using their researched information. The new audio track will be recorded behind the editable video clip as the new narration. By organizing their content into an audio track, students will better synthesize the information than simply recording their research in a written report. Matching their written content to the existing video track will require greater critical thinking, problem solving and decision making.
NETS*S:
- 1b - Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
- 2a - Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
- 3a - Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students plan strategies to guide inquiry.
- 3b - Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
- 3c - Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
- 4b - Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
- 5a - Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
- 6d - Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.
Not sure who wrote this... I will have to check the edits/history. Thank you for detailing the project for us. Lisa (oops! Michelle Krill)Ben Grey
http://www.wikispaces.com
Grade Level: Elementary
We use Wikispaces for our students when they do literature circles. Instead of doing traditional role sheets, teachers have students complete their role work on the wiki page for their group. Students then use that space to share their thoughts and insights on the book with each other. Students also use the site to create their own reading pace chart as well as keep each other accountable for reading.
NETS-S 2,3,4,5,6
Hi Ben! Thanks for sharing this with us. I believe that this could be implemented with any age group... thanks so much! Lisa
Scott Meech
http://www.todaysmeet.com
Grade Level: Middle School (6,7, and 8th)
We have used this resource as a back channel tool for students to ask questions without disturbing the rhythm of a lesson. Fellow classmates can answer the questions in the back channel. This took a little bit of training to get the students beyond being silly, but once they understood the potential it has been very successful. We have been very encouraged by students who participate now who are not good at participating before using this resource. Additionally students love to help other students.
NETS - S 2.b, 2.c, 3.a, 3.b, 4.a, 4.b, 4.c,
Hi Scott, this is a nice tool. Thanks for sharing it with us. Anything that encourages participation is AWESOME! Lisa
Andrea Christman
http://wchstech.wikispaces.com/
Grade Level: High School (9-12)
My district does not really sanction Web 2.0 products and their philosophy is if student work resides on any server that is not the district's, then don't do it. However, many people are using Wikis, VoiceThread, and other applications. Informally, we operate on an "Don't ask, don't tell" policy! If you get caught, they will tell you to take it down, but otherwise, you are on your own! I took it upon myself this year to collaborate with my partner (we have two media specialists in our school) and the staff development teacher and we created this wiki for the teachers to keep track of the technology professional development that we are designing and teaching this school year. We have had some wonderful Wikis created by our staff this year and for the first year, I am pleased. We have two Assistant Principals on board and one of them created a Wiki to communicate with her student Ambassadors. The National Honor Society sponsor created a Wiki to keep their Service Projects all in one place and the Drama teacher created a Wiki to organize her parent volunteers for her play production in the fall. It is moving into the curriculum a bit more slowly, but I feel that once teachers are comfortable in this environment first, then they will take it to the next level and incorporate it into their content areas.
NETS-S 2, 5, 6
Thanks so much, Andrea! I could spend hours looking at this-- a definite bookmark for me! Lisa
Brady Cline
http://www.studywiz.com/
Grade Level: K-12
Our school purchased this platform a year ago. It is a comprehensive learning platform which includes wikis, blogs, chatting etc. Remains to be seen how much value it will add when compared to Google Apps which several teachers began using extensively (without really getting permission) while waiting for this to come online.
NETS-S 2,3,4,5,6
Thanks Brady. I would be very interested to see the results at the end of the year. Lisa
Kathleen Keck
Grade Level: Teachers in grades K-6
http://wallwisher.com/wall/vcsohioK-6
I am speaking from the viewpoint of an administrator since I am not currently a teacher so this is modeling use for teachers. Prior to a staff meeting I had the teachers post ideas and thoughts on wall wisher. Staff meeting occurs via Elluminate. I also wanted to add another example although I do not have a link. In the elementary we are required to have parent-teacher conferences. They had never been done virtually since students are located all over the state. We plan to use skype to do these student-led conferences (although students do not have web cams) and have students share data graphs on progress toward meeting standards. We could add use of google docs for the graphs in the future, however, this year the students scan graphs to the teacher for conference use. I also will be teaching a high school class online and plan to use voice thread for students to introduce themselves.
Thanks, Kathleen. This tool was a new one for me. I can see limitless possibilities! Thanks... Lisa
Judith Epcke
VoiceThread: http://ed.voicethread.com/#home
Project example: http://u.nu/3zas4
Depending on the project, many of the NETS•S can be met: 1a, b, 2a, b, c, d, 5a, b, c, 6b, d
Voicethread has been one of the most exciting and versatile Web 2.0 innovations my district has used. It is used at all grade levels (K-8), but not necessarily in all classrooms. VoiceThread is even being used by some of our elementary art teachers to create an online portfolio for student artwork. Students have created online books, voiced opinions about topics, shared information, and demonstrated their learning through their VoiceThread projects. The real power of this Web 2.0 tool is when the world is invited to view a project and add their comments. One such example is the 2nd grade Country Projects link posted above. These students researched a country, shared information, and posted the project to their class blog. The world was invited to comment and add additional information about the places they studied. You can imagine the excitement when someone from Australia actually commented for the student who studied Australia!
How cool that someone from Australia commented-- three cheers for authenticity! Thanks so much, Judy. Lisa
Patrick Chodkiewicz
Google Apps for Education
NETS-S 2,3,4,5,6
Grade Level: 6-8
Currently our Middle School is using Google Apps for Eduction. Basically, we are hosting it on our server and student and teachers are able to easily login and use the Docs, Blogger, and other apps, such as the Reader. This is a powerful tool because all of the information is brought to them. So far I have have had positive feedback from all teachers and most students. As far as logins and passwords, they have been really user friendly, unlike the Moodle Apps we have been using.
Thanks Patrick. Check out the Google (google apps) for educators site to see lesson samples for all ages groups! Thanks, Lisa
Patricia Moriarty
We Seed
NETS 1c 2d 3b 3d 4c 5 6
Grade Level Grade 5
Content Area: Math
I have not used many Web 2.0 tools with my students however, this year I am trying out an online stock market simulation called We Seeds. It is a great tool and the students are able to use real time data to manage their portfolios. They are able to interact with other teams and discuss stocks online. The only drawback for using this particular simulation is that the students needed to have their own email accounts. Fortunately, many do have their own email but some students don't. The Tech specialist is trying to work around this by possibly setting up a few accounts but most of these sites are blocked by our server. I am hoping that all students will someday have account at school but the reality is we don't really have the administrative support for this
Hi Patricia, Thanks so much for sharing this with us. It would be great if your tech specialist could set up some accounts for you. Have you seen mathtv? thanks, Lisa.
Teresa Diehl
I am ashamed to admit that I have never used a web 2.0 tool in a K-12 teaching situation. The last time I was a teacher was in 2006-- I was working in a developing country and had never heard of such tools. Even though I have been working as a curriculum writer since then, I have not been given the freedom to include such niceties. I do, however, look forward to reading about how my JHU colleagues use them!
There is no reason to be ashamed, Teresa.You can share the tools with other teachers you know. Lisa
Michelle McFarland
I too am ashamed to say that I have never used a web 2.0 tool in school. We have only in the last year got computers that can run with more than one application open at a time. We are very far behind as a district in terms of technology. We just had eno (smartboards) installed in our classrooms over the holiday break. However, we have not had PD or suggestions of tools to use in conjunction with it. This is something that myself and some other teachers are working on and hoping to be able to address in an upcoming PD. The difficulty is that while teachers can use these tools in the classroom there are no computers available for students to use in the building.
Oh how frustrating that the students do not have access to computers! Please don't say that you are ashamed. Let us know how the smart boards work out for you. Lisa
Allyson Smith
High school
NETS 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2d, 3a, 3b,3d, 4b, 6a
Math, Humanities, Science and Sustainability
wikispaces.com
Blackboard
Photostory
One of the major uses of web 2.0 tools at my school is to have students share knowledge and to work in teams. We did not have access to anything in house so some of our teachers used wikispaces. Over the summer one class used wikispaces to collaborate on research on the civl rights movement and then to use that knowledge as background to create a collection of essays on the state of civil rights today. Our district has now included wikis in blackboard so some teachers use our district blackboard wiki instead of wikispaces. One teacher used the blackboard wiki for teams to collaborate in presentations about "Pumkin Chuckin" - they went to the event this fall so they have photos, interviews and it's a math class so they calculated the trajectories of the pumpkins. And a science teacher had her students create PSAs about pollution after researching information online. She has posted the videos on wikispaces.
Thanks, Allyson. The tools are great for communication and collaboration. I love the wiki pumpkin project :) Lisa
Melissa Del Priore
I am saddened by the fact that I have nothing to add to this space. My school has no push for integrating technology in the classroom. Our district received a grant and purchased ENO boards which were installed over Christmas break. Most teachers use them as projection screens or write on them like a white board. I want to use Google with my students, but it is blocked by the technology department. I want to use photostory, but that is blocked as well because it is "freeware". The new technology person is not education friendly, he was never a teacher. There is a laptop cart in my hallway that must be shared with 15 different teachers. It holds 25 computers and the batteries last only for about 2 hours at a time. The STEM academy that I am hoping to lead in the fall will hopefully have a whole different way of doing things, as we will use Race to the Top monies to integrate NETS standards and Web 2.0 tools.
I am sorry to hear this news. Maybe you could show them of the outstanding posts here and turn them around? Perhaps they would allow a pilot (test drive of the tools). What about other basic tools like power point and word? Do they allow for student creativity with these tools? Lisa
Name: Kenneth Davis
Grade Level: 3 to 12
Tool: ALEKS
Content/Project: Mathematics-Students work at their own pace to help them catch up or move forward with in the math curriculum. The program also helps a lot with retention over long breaks such as the summer and winter.
NETS-S Addressed: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d
*I am not sure if this qualifies as a Web 2.0 tool though. Our class also does weekly blogs that answer math journal prompts that I provide them with in class. A simple but effective way to have them reflect and review what was taught for the week in class.
I agree with you on the blogs, Ken. This program looks like it would really help with retention. I would like to hear more about it sometime. Thanks,Lisa
Nancy took my first choice for a web 2.0 tool. I am actually running that pilot and it is a great tool. This link is another tool that I shared with my language teachers and I use myself.
Name: Annamarie Capaldi
Grade Level: 5-adult
Tool: Noodlebib
Summary: Noodlebib takes you through a step by step process to build a bibliography. It asks a series of questions and creates a properly built reference. This a not a free site, but the charge is minimal and saves all the bibliographies.
NETS: 2, 3, 5
Thanks, Annamarie. Do you like this site better than bibme? Have a good day, Lisa
Carissa Sualp
Grade Level: 6
NETS: 2
Tool: Google Apps: Collaboration
I am beginning a collaborative writing unit with my 6th grade students. We began the unit with an introduction to blogging. After watching a short video on "What is a blog?" we worked in groups using Google docs to define the word blog. Students entered their responses into the spreadsheet. As students completed their entry they highlighted key words/snynonyms that appeared within others contributions to the doc. The chat feature was permitted however requires more modeling for appropriate use. Eventually these students will be creating blogs, adding another collaborative communication tool to their toolbox.
Thanks, Carissa. Google Aps for Educators has a repository of lessons from teachers. You can search by grade or content. Check it out! Have a good day, Lisa
Lenora Crawford
Grade Level: 9-12
Tool: Facebook www.facebook.com
NETS: 2 and 5
This year a colleague and I thought it would be important create a positive social group centered around school membership for our student population. We came up with idea of creating a school facebook page. We both moderate and maintain the page. We pose questions to the students and they post such comments such as favorite teacher, class, best memory, etc. We also have expanded the use of facebook to our Mentor Mentee prgoram. Some teachers have created groups with their mentees in hopes of creating an outside of the classroom communication network. With these groups mentors are able to keep students abreast of ACT pre test dates, group lunch meetings and other collaborative efforts.